Unwinding machine



Dec. 13, 1955 P. w. JESPERSEN UNWINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 10, 1950 Dec. 13, 1955 P. w. JESPERSEN UNWINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 10, 1950 Dec. 13, 1955 P. w. JESPERSEN 2,726,465

UNWINDING MACHINE Original Filed March 10. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 13: #2 r: a r. liulldlkqperso Dec. 13, 1955 P. w. JESPERSEN UNWINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed March 10, 1950 ""El j I 72 1/2215? aul W1 5, 15a.

flfiorvgg Dec. 13, 1955 P. w. JESPERSEN UNWINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed March 10, 1950 United States Patent 2,726,465 Patented Dec. 13, 1955 1 2,726,465 UNWINDING MACHINE Paul W. Jespersen, Wilmette, llL, assignor to American Linen Supply (10., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Nevada Original application March 19, 1950, Serial No. 148,777. Divided and this application October 16, 1951, Serial No. 251,557

3 Claims. (Cl. 38-2) The present invention relates in general to unwinding machines and, more particularly, to a novel automatic unwinding and folding machine of the type which is arranged to fold a relatively long web of material into predetermined lengths as the web is unwound from a storage reel. This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 148,777, filed March 10, 1950, now Patent No. 2,691,523. The novel machine is especially adapted for preparing soiled toweling, of the roll type, for a laundering operation by unwinding the toweling from the roll and folding it into zigzag layers. After the toweling has been folded into layers, it may be tied to form a relatively loose bundle before it is deposited into a washing machine.

In a folding machine of the type heretofore used by laundry companies to prepare roll toweling for the washing operation, a roll of toweling containing approximately fifty yards of toweling was placed into an open top trough-like container. The free end of the toweling was passed upwardly and over the top of motor driven feed rollers and then through'an oscillating duct-like member. The oscillating duct member directed the strip of toweling, as it was fed from the feed rollers, so that it dropped in layers on a fiat horizontal table. After the toweling had been fed through the machine in the manner described above, the operator gathered the folded toweling at one or more points between the ends thereof and loosely tied the toweling at the gathered points with a flexible cord. The toweling was in this manner transposed from the form of a roll into a plurality of flat folded layers and then bound to form a readily washable bundle.

One of the principal objections to the prior machine of the type noted above is that the open top trough, into which a roll of toweling was placed, permitted the roll to be inadvertently pulled out of the trough during the unwinding operation. Each time the roll was pulled out of the trough, it was necessary to shut down the machine, untangle and rewind the toweling onto the roll by hand and again restore the roll into the trough of the machine.

Another objection to the prior machine was that the manner in which the duct member was constructed caused the toweling to frequently be pinched between the feed rollers and the duct. More specifically, the duct member for guiding the toweling as it was fed from the feed rollers, was an open ended rectangular chimney-like metal structure having long oppositely disposed side walls and short oppositely disposed end walls. It was pivotally mounted for oscillatory movement at points located immediately below the horizontal plane of the feed rollers and in vertical alignment with the toweling as it was fed from the feed roller. Consequently, when the toweling was fed from the feed rollersthrough the metal duct member, the oscillatory movement of the duct member guided the toweling so that it fell upon the work surface in folded layers. As the duct member was oscillated in one direction it substantially closed the space between the top edge of one wall of the duct member and the surface of one of the feed rollers thereby to guide the toweling in one direction. At this instant the top edge of the opposite wall of the duct member was rotated away from the other feed roller leaving a substantial gap into which the toweling frequently folded as it was fed from the feed rollers. When the duct member oscillated in the opposite direction, the portion of the toweling that was folded into the gap noted above was pinched or caught between the edge of the duct member and the associated feed roller. This caused the machine to jam and on many occasions tear the toweling. The folding operation of the machine would be thrown out of synchronism and thus cause considerable delay before the machine could again be placed into operation.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved unwinding and folding machine which is economical to manufacture, which is simple to operate and which obviates the objections described hereinbefore.

It is anotherobject of the invention to provide in an unwinding and folding machine an improved mechanism for unwinding the roll of soiled toweling by passing the outer Web thereof across the open top of the roll supporting trough and thereby restrain the roll from inadvertently pulling out of the trough as the toweling is unwound from the roll.

Further objects and features of the invention pertain to the particular structural arrangement of the towel unwinding and folding machine whereby the above-outlined objects and additional operating features are attained.

The present invention both as to its organization and method of operation together with further objects and advantages thereof will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the improved towel unwinding and folding machine and illustrates the manner in which the toweling is folded as it is fed from the upper portion of the machine onto the work surface thereof;

Fig. 2 is a right-hand end view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. l with a portion of the guard cover broken away in order more clearly to illustrate the details of the drive mechanism for the machine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 5 and illustrates the mounting arrangement and the detailed construction of the pressure roller that cooperates with the driven roller of the machine to feed the web of toweling therethrough;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2 of the upper portion of the machine, with the guard cover removed, and illustrates the drive mechanism for operating the oscillating spreader plates;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and illustrates further details of the mechanism for oscillating the spreader plates in order to fold the toweling Web as it is fed from the machine;

' Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 2 of the upper portion of the machine and illustrates the manner in which the toweling is fed through the machine;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 5 and illustrates the mounting arrangement and the detailed construction of the driven feed roller;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 3 and illustrates the manner in which the spreader plates are linked together for simultaneous oscillatory movement;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged partial front view of the work surface of the machine illustrated in Fig. I;

Fig. ll is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 11-11 of Fig. l and illustrates a partial top view of the work surface and the s -shaped towel rests;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12 of Fig. 11 and illustrates the manner in which the work surface and the V-shaped towel rests are secured to the supporting frame assembly; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 of Fig. 5 and illustrates the detailed mounting arrangement of the pinion gear and the associated drive pulley.

The supporting frame for the towel unwinding and folding machine comprises four upright channel members 21a to 21d, inclusive, and a pair of angle braces 22a and 22b which are respectively secured, in any desired manner, between the channel members Zia-21d and 21b21c. The angle braces 22a and 2212 are provided with bolt holes therein to permit the machine to be anchored to the floor.

In order to provide a convenient work surface for the machine, the front channel members 21a and 21b are only of sufficient length to support the work surface 23 at a convenient work level. The work surface may either be arranged at a level which would require the operator to remain seated or, as an alternative, it may be arranged at a level which would require the operator to remain in a standing position. The particular level that is selected is a matter of choice.

The rear channel members 21c and 21d extend upwardly from the floor beyond the level of the work surface 23 and are spaced apart sufiiciently to support the entire unwinding and folding mechanism 24 in the manner to be described hereinafter.

As is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, l0, l1 and 12, the work surface 23 is supported upon the upper ends of the front channel members 21a and 21b and it is socured to the rear channel members 21c and 21:] by means of the angle supports 25a and 25b. The angle supports 25a and 25b are welded to the upper portion of the front channel members 210 and 21b and to the rear channel members 21d and 210, respectively, in the manner best illustrated in Figs. 10 and 12. A flat front plate 26 is welded between the front edges of the channel members 21a and 21b in order to secure the two channel members rigidly in place and in order to provide a front supporting edge for the work surface 23. In addition to the foregoing, a rear channel support 27 is welded between the inner facing surfaces of the rear channel members 21c and 21d in order to provide a rear supporting bracket for the work surface 23.

The work surface 23 includes a plurality of angle members which are welded together to form a rectangular metal framework and a flat thin metal plate 28, having upturned side rails 28a and 2%, which is secured to the angle framework by means of rivets, screws, or the like.

The plate 28 is formed at opposite ends with the upturned side rails 28a and 28b, as is best seen in Fig. 1, in order to prevent the folded layers of the toweling from sliding d the work surface 23. In this connection, it

should be noted that the work surface 23 is formed to provide a raised central flat portion which is horizontal with respect to the floor, and two opposite downwardly sloping surfaces. With this arrangement the weight of the opposite ends of the folded toweling pulls downwardly and outwardly along the sloping surfaces and tends to stretch the toweling into flat layers.

A pair of V-shaped brackets 29a and 291; are secured respectively to the front sloping edges of the work surface 23 and an elongated V-shaped bracket 29c is secured to the front horizontal edge of the work surface 23 by means of rivets, screws, or the like. The above mentioned V-shaped brackets 29a to 290, inclusive, provide a support for the folded toweling after it has been gathered together.

The unwinding and folding mechanism 24, illustrated in the upper portion of Figs. 1 and 2, is shown in greater detail in Figs. 3, and 7. Referring specifically to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the left-hand portion of the mechanism 24 includes a trough assembly 30, three towel smoothing or idle rollers 31a, 31b and 310 and oppositely disposed smoothing roller support brackets 31:! and 31a. The right-hand portion of the mechanism 24 includes a driven roller 32, a pressure roller 33 and a towel oscillating mechanism 34.

The entire unwinding and folding mechanism 24 is supported between the upper ends of the two rear channel members 21c and 21d by means of a plurality of bolts 38, as is best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. With this method of supporting the unwinding and folding mechanism 24, the major portion of the mechanism is positioned directly above the central portion of the work surface 23, and the trough assembly 30 is positioned above the right-hand portion of the work surface 23. In Fig. 7 it will be seen that the trough assembly 30 includes a pair of oppositely disposed side plates 30a and 30b, an outer panel 30c and a towel trough 30d. The side plates 30a and 30b are respectively secured to opposite ends of a main supporting plate 35 by means of the bolts 39 which are screwed into appropriate tapped holes in the plate 35. The decorative outer panel 300 is secured to the side plates 30a and 30b along the bottom edges and left-hand edges thereof by means of a plurality of screws 37 which are screwed into appropriate tapped holes in the respective side plates. The toweltrough 30d is supported at the upper left-hand edge of the decorative outer panel 300, as is shown in Fig. 7, by means of a plurality of screws 41 and the opposite end of the towel trough panel 30d is formed in accordance with the contour of the roll toweling 40.

The previously mentioned towel smoothing rollers 31a, 31b and 310 are rotatably mounted between a pair of support brackets 31d and 31e which are respectively secured to the side plates 30a and 30b by means of a plurality of screws 42. These brackets are provided with bearing holes for rotatably supporting the shafts of the smoothing rollers 31a, 31b and 310 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7. Each of the smoothing rollers 31a, 31b and 310 is provided with a highly polished surface in order to smooth out any of the folds or wrinkles in the toweling as it is drawn over the three rollers.

As previously noted, the major portion of the unwinding and folding mechanism 24 is supported between the upper ends of the two rear channel members 210 and 21d. The casihg for this portion of the folding mechanism includes the main supporting plate 35 to which the trough assembly 30 is securely fastened by means of the bolts 39. The details of this casing will now be considered. Referring to Fig. 3, which is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1, it will be seen that the left and right-hand side plates 36a and 36b are respectively the front and rear plates of the mechanism, as seen in Fig. 1. By referring to Figs. 5 and 7, it will be seen that a panel 43 is secured to the side plates 36a and 36b by a plurality of screws 44 and that it encloses the right-hand side and the top of the mechanism. Particular attention is directed to the fact that an upstanding lip 43a is formed in the panel 43, as is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, in order to form a guide member for the frame of the motor 85.

Referring again to Fig. 3, it will be noted that a bafiie plate 45 is secured to the left-hand plate 36a by means of a plurality of screws 45a and the opposite end of the bafiie plate is secured in a like manner to the side plate 36b. The baffle plate 45 extends from the inner top portion of the casing downwardly to a point which is located slightly above the surface of the pressure roller 33. This baflle is provided to assist the operator in threading the toweling between the rollers 32 and 33. Finally, the casing for the folding mechanism is provided with a guide member 46 which extends the entire distance between the side plates 36a and 36b and is secured between the main support plate 35 and the trough assembly 30 by means of the bolts 39. This guide member 46 is formed at its upper end to direct the toweling into engagement with a predetermined portion of the periphery of the driven roller 32. In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the moving parts of the folding mechanism are substantially enclosed by the casing except for the opening provided therein to permit the operator to feed the leading edge of the toweling to the driven roller 32 and the opening in the bottom portion to permit the machine to direct the toweling to the work surface 23. h

The manner in which the driven roller 32 is rotatably supported upon the respective side plates 36a and 36b Will now be described. Referring to Fig. 8, which discloses a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 5, it will be seen that the driven roller 32 comprises a sleeve 32a which may, for example, be aluminum and a pair of hub members 32b and 32c secured thereto and having threaded holes therein whereby the roller may be rigidly secured to a shaft 32d by means of set screws 32e. The entire surface of the sleeve 32a is covered by a layer of synthetic rubber 32 which has the quality of resisting deterioration as a result of contact with petroleum products.

The left end of the shaft 32d extends through an opening in the side plate 36a and it is rotatably supported in the opening by means of a roller bearing 32g. The roller bearing 32g, in turn, is supported on the side plate 36a by means of a bearing retainer cap 32h. The opposite end of the shaft 32d extends through a corresponding opening in the side plate 36b and is rotatably supported in the opening by means of a roller bearing 32: and a bearing retainer cap 32 The above mentioned bearing retainer caps 32h and 32 are rigidly secured to the plates 36a and 36b by means of machine screws (not shown).

The right-hand end of the shaft 32d extends through the bearing retainer cap 32j and two drive pulleys 47 and 48 are secured thereto by means of the set screws 47a and 480.

In view of the above description of the details of the driven roller 32 and the method 'of rotatably mounting the same between the side plates 36a and 36b, it should be understood that the roller 32, the pulley 47 and the pulley 48 are rigidly secured to the shaft 32d and that they will all rotate at the same speed during the operation of the towel folding mechanism. a

The manner in which the pressure roller 33 is pivotally mounted at opposite ends upon the respective plates 36a and 3615 will now be described. Referring to Fig. 4, which discloses a partial sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 5, it will be seen that the pressure roller 33 comprises a sleeve 33a which may, for example, be aluminum, and a pair of hub members, such as the hub member 33b, secured thereto and having threaded holes therein whereby the roller may be rigidly secured to a shaft 33d by means of set screws 33a. The entire surface of the sleeve 33a is covered by a layer of synthetic rubber 33] which has the quality of resisting deterioration as a result of contact with petroleum products. Since only one end of the pressure roller 33 is disclosed in Fig. 4, it may be well to mention at this time that the opposite end thereof is exactly the same as that disclosed and the corresponding parts areid'entified by the same numerical designations but the suffix letter b" has been substituted for the letter a.

The pivotal mounting arrangement for the pressure roller 33 includes a tension arm 49a, a shoulder screw 50a, a washer 51a and anut 52a. As is illustrated in Fig. 4, the shoulder screw 50a is inserted through a bearing hole in the tension arm 49a and then through a corresponding opening in the side plate 36a. The washer 51a and the nut 52a are provided in order to fasten the shoulder screw 50a inplace upon the side plate 36a. Attention is directed to the fact that the bearing hole in the tension arm 49a is slightly larger than the shoulder portion of the shoulder screw 50a in order to permit the tension arm 49a to rotate freely about the pivot point formed by the shoulder screw. The pivotal mounting arrangement for the opposite end of the pressure roller 33 is exactly the same as that described above and, forthe purpose of this disclosure, the corresponding parts have the same numerical designations but the sufiix letter b" has been substituted for the letter a.

The lower end of the tension arm 49a is formed as a bearing cap and it is adapted to retain the roller hearing 53a therein so that the pressure roller 33 is rotatably secured in the position illustrated in Fig. 4. The upper end of the tension arm 49a is provided with a hole which is adapted to receive one end of a tension spring 54a, as is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7. The other end of the tension spring 54a is secured to the panel 43 by means of a screw eye 55a, an adjusting nut 56a and a washer 57a. The adjusting nut 56a is provided so that the tension of the spring 54a may be readily adjusted. In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that the tension spring 54a normally tends to rotate the tension arm 49a in a clockwise direction about the pivot point formed by the shoulder screw 50a and thus tends to maintain the pressure roller 33 in engagement with the driven roller 32 as is best illustrated in Fig. 7.

A description will now be given of the oscillating mechanism 34 for guiding the web of toweling, as it is fed from between the driven roller 32 and the pressure roller 33, so that it falls upon the work surface in folded or zigzag layers. The oscillating mechanism 34 includes a pair of spaced apartspreader plates 58a and 5812, a pair of links 63a and 63b, a yoke 66 and a crank 71, as is illustrated in Fig. 6.

The spreader plates 58a and 58b are respectively mounted for independent pivotal movement at their upper ends as is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 7. By referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the spreader plate 582: is provided with a pair of hinges 59a and 6%. Referring specifically to the hinge 59a, it will be noted that it is secured to the spreader plate 58a by means of screws, rivets or the like, and it is formed at its upper end with a bearing hole which is in alignment with a stud 61a formed in the side plate 36a. The stud 61a is tapped to receive a threaded shoulder portion of a hinge bolt 62a. When the hinge bolt 62a is screwed into the stud 61a, the right end thereof extends into the bearing hole in the upper portion of the hinge 59a and forms the shaft upon which the spreader plate 58a is pivoted. Consequently, the spreader plate 58a is pivotally mounted upon the extended portion of the hinge bolt 62a. The hinge 59a is also formed at its lower end with an additional bearing hole, as is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 9, to receive one end of a link member 63a whereby the spreader plates 58a and 58b arelinked together for oscillatory movement.

Before discussing the manner in which the link member 63a is secured to the spreader plates 58a and 58b, attention is directed to the fact that the hinge 6011, provided at the right upper end of the spreader plate 58a, as is seen in Fig. 3, is substantially identical to the hinge member 59a and it is pivotally mounted upon the side plate 36b by means of the stud 61b and the hinge bolt 62b in substantially the same manner as the hinge 59a is pivotally mounted upon the side plate 36a. At this point it may be well to mention the fact that the spreader plate 58b, Figs. 5, 7 and 9, is identical to the spreader plate 58a and that it is pivotally supported in exactly the same manner upon the side plates 36a and 36b.

, In order to retain the spreader plates 58a and 58b in substantially parallel relationship as they are oscillated back and forth about the pivot points formed by the hinge bolts 62a and 62b, the link member 63a is pivotally secured at opposite ends in the bearing holes provided in the lower portions of the hinges 59a and 6011 by means of the pivot pins 64a and 64b. The pivot pin 64a extends through a bearing hole in the link member 63a and through the bearing hole provided in the lower portion of the hinge member 59a. In order to properly lubricate the bearing holes and the pivot pin noted above, an oil or grease fitting 65a may be provided, as is best illustrated in Fig. 3. One end of the link member 63a is pivotally secured to the spreader plate 58a in the manner described above and the opposite end thereof,

as is illustrated in Fig. 9, is pivotally secured to the corresponding hinge provided on the spreader plate 58b. Consequently, the spaced apart spreader plates 58a and 58b are retained in substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other by means of the link members 63a and 63b even though they are oscillated back and forth.

Before describing the manner in which the spreader plates 58a and 58b are oscillated, attention is directed to the fact that a link member 6312 is provided at the right-hand end of the spreader plates 58a and 5812, as seen in Fig. 3, and it is pivotally mounted on the hinge 60a in the same manner as the link 63a is mounted on the hinge 59a. Consequently, the two ends of the spreader plates 58a and 58b are respectively linked together by means of the links 63a and 63b.

Referring now to Fig. 6, it will be seen that a yoke 66 is provided for simultaneously controlling the oscillatory movement of the spreader plates 58a and 58b. The yoke 66 is formed with two spaced apart arms 66a and 66b which are respectively secured to the mid-points of the link members 63a and 63b by means of shoulder pivot screws 67a and 67b. The shoulder pivot screw 67a is inserted through the central bearing hole in the link 63a and then through a roller bearing 68a provided in the arm 66a of the yoke 66. The end of the shoulder pivot screw 67a extends beyond the roller bearing 68a and a bearing retaining end washer 69a and a locking nut 70a pivotally secure the arm 66a of the yoke 66 to the midpoint of the link 63a. The opposite arm 66b of the yoke 66 is also pivotally secured to the link 63b in an identical manner.

Referring again to Fig. 6, it will be seen that the yoke 66 is also formed with a control arm 660 which is pivotally mounted on a crank 71. The pivotal mounting for the control arm 66c and the crank 71 includes a crank pin 71a, a roller bearing 7111, a spacer washer 710, a thrust washer 71d and a locking nut 71e. With this arrangement the free or extended end of the crank 71 and the control arm 660 may freely rotate with respect to one another, under control of a rotatable crank shaft 72.

The crank 71 is rigidly secured to the left end of the crank shaft 72 by means of a tapered pin 73 which is driven through appropriate holes provided respectively in the crank 71 and the crank shaft 72. In order to minimize vibration of the crank shaft 72 at the end thereof which carries the crank 71, a crank shaft bearing bracket 74 is secured to the panel 43, by means of a plurality of screws 75, and a roller bearing 76, supporting the crank shaft 72, is secured in the crank shaft bearing bracket 74.

The right end of the crank shaft 72 extends through an appropriate opening in the side plate 36b and rigidly supports a drive gear 77 which is secured thereto by means of a set screw 77a. In order to provide an adequate bearing for the crank shaft 72 at the point where it passes through the side plate 36b, a bearing mounting plate 78 is fastened to the outside surface of the side plate 36b by means of a plurality of screws 78a and a roller bearing 78b on the crank shaft 72 is retained in place in the bearing mounting plate 78.

In view of the foregoing detailed description of the apparatus for linking the spreader plates 58a and 58b to the drive gear 77, it will be understood that when the crank shaft 72 is rotated by the drive gear 77 the circular movement of the free end of the crank 71 will cause the yoke 66, the links 63a and 63b and the spreader plates 58a and 58b to oscillate back and forth. The links 63a and 63b maintain the spreader plates 58a and 58b in substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other as they pivot back and forth on their hinged pivot points.

By referring to Figs. and 13, it will be seen that the bearing mounting plate 78, which supports the roller bearing 78b for the crank shaft 72, is formed at its upper end to provide a mounting for a pinion shaft 79. The pinion shaft 79 is rigidly secured in an opening in the upper portion of the plate 78 and a pinion gear 80 and a pulley 81 are mounted in interlocked relationship upon a sleeve bearing 82 of Phosphor bronze, or the like, which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 79. The rotatable pulley 81, the pinion gear 80, and the sleeve bearing 82 are retained in place upon the pinion shaft 79 by the retaining collar 83 and the set screw 83a. In order to lubricate the sleeve bearing 82 for the pulley 81 and the pinion gear 80, the pinion shaft 79 is provided with an oil passage and an oil fitting 84. By referring to Figs. 3 and 5, it will be seen that the pinion gear 80 engages the drive gear 77 and, since the latter gear is rigidly secured to the crank shaft 72, rotation of the pinion gear 80 will rotate the crank shaft 72.

A motor 85 is secured to the top panel of the unwinding and folding mechanism, as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, and a drive pulley 86 is rigidly secured to the shaft of the motor. The drive pulley 86, in turn, is coupled to the pulley 47 on the driven roller shaft 32d by means of a V-shaped belt 87. Accordingly, rotation of the pulley 86 under control of the motor 85 will rotate the pulley 47 and the driven roller 32.

In addition to the foregoing, the pulley 48, which is also rigidly secured to the driven roller shaft 32d, is coupled to the pulley 81 rotatably mounted on the pinion shaft 79 by means of a V-shaped belt 88. Consequently, the rotation of the pulley 48 controls the rotation of the pulley 81. The pulley 81, in turn, is directly coupled to the pinion gear 80, as previously noted, and is also rotatably mounted upon the pinion shaft 79. Rotation of the pulley 81 causes a corresponding rotation of the pinion gear 80 and the latter gear, in turn, causes rotation of the drive gear 77 which is rigidly secured to the crank shaft 72. In this manner the rotary movement of the pinion gear 80 is transferred to the crank shaft 72. As the crank shaft 72 revolves, the crank 71 causes the yoke 66 to move back and forth in a piston-like manner and thereby causes a definite predetermined oscillatory action of the spreader plates 58a and 58b.

It may be well to mention at this time that since the pressure roller 33 is maintained in engagement with the surface of the rotating driven roller 32, due to the tension of the tension springs 54a and 54b on the tension arms 49a and 49b, the pressure roller 33 revolves at the same speed as the driven roller 32. In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that the motor 85 drives the various parts, enumerated above, during normal operation of the mechanism. A guard cover 89 is placed over the exposed pulleys, gears and belts in order to protect the operator of the machine.

With the motor 85 driving the various parts of the mechanism in the manner described above, the machine is in condition to fold the web of a roll of toweling 40 into predetermined flat layers upon the work surface 23. The operator of the machine, upon receiving a soiled roll of toweling, places the roll 40 into the trough assembly 30 with the outer free end of the web of the roll in engagement with the towel trough 30d so that the web will be withdrawn from the roll in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 7. The web of the toweling is then threaded over the smoothing roller 31a, then under the smoothing roller 31b, and then over the top of the smoothing roller 31c.

After the web of the toweling has been threaded through the smoothing rollers, in the manner described above, the end of the toweling is then drawn over the open top of the trough assembly 30 and the roll of toweling 40 placed therein and is inserted between the adjacent surfaces of the driven roller 32 and the pressure roller 33. When the last-mentioned operation is performed, the driven roller 32 will then pull the web of the toweling through the machine and cause it to drop upon the work surface 23.

It may be well to mention at this time that since the web of the toweling is now between the adjacent surfaces of the driven roller 32 and the pressure roller 33, the tension of the pressure roller 33 against the web of the toweling permits the driven roller 32 to pull the web of the toweling without slippage, and feed it through the space between the oscillating spreader plates 58:: and 58b. Inasmuch as the spreader plates 58a and 53b are oscillating between extreme left and right positions, as seen in Fig. 7, the web of the toweling is directed upon the work surface 23 so that it automatically falls in folded layers. The three smoothing rollers 31a, 31b and 310 smooth out the wrinkles and folds in the roll toweling 4i) as the web thereof is pulled over the polished surfaces of these rollers.

Since the rate at which the toweling is fed through the spreader plates 58a and 53b and the rate at which the spreader plates 58a and 58b are oscillated are predetermined by the diameter of the various pulleys and gears, it will be understood that the speed at which the motor 85 is operated may be varied considerably without altering the lengths of the folded layers of toweling deposited upon the work surface 23. In other words, the ratio between the speed of rotation of the driven roller 32 and the number of oscillations of the spreader plates 58a and 53b remains substantially constant regardless of variations in the speed at which the motor 85 is operated.

When the roll toweling is finally deposited in folded layers upon the work surface 23, the machine operator may then gather the folded layers at one or more points between the ends thereof in order to fold the layers one or more times in a direction parallel to the sides of the toweling. The erator of the machine may then slide the toweling from the work surface 23 into the t -shaped brackets 29a, 29b and 23% secured along the front edge of the work surface 23.

ter this operation is performed it may be convenient for the operator to place another soiled roll of toweling into the trough assembly 3d and thread the web of the toweling into the unwinding and folding mechanism in the manner described previously. The machine will then perform the folding operation on the second roll during the time that the operator disposes of the folded toweling which has been placed in the ti-shaped brackets. The toweling which has been eposited into the V shaped brackets may now be loosely bound by a cord and tied at one or more points between the ends thereof, for example, at points adjacent the t -shaped brackets 29a and 29b, in order to form a relatively compact bundle. The bundles of toweling which have been prepared in this manner, may now be collected and deposited into a washing machine for laundering.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein which are within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for unwinding a roll of soiled toweling comprising in combination, an open-top trough having at least one inclined surface, a pair of smoothing members arranged parallel to and exteriorly of said trough and spaced laterally from the upper edge of said inclined surface of said trough in a first direction, a drive roller arranged parallel to and exteriorly of said trough and spaced laterally from the edge of said inclined surface of said trough in a direction opposite said first direction, a roll of soiled toweling loosely carried in said trough, the web of said toweling bein threaded at least a portion of the distance around each smoothing member of said pair so that one surface of said web engages one smoothing member of said pair and the opposite surface of said web engages the other smoothing member of said pair and then passes immediately over said open-top trough and around at least a portion of said surface of said drive roller, a pressure roller pivotally mounted and tensioned to firmly press said web against the surface of said drive roller, and motor means continuously rotating said drive roller continuously to draw the outer Web of said roll over each smoothing member of said pair and across said open-top trough and between said drive and pressure rollers, said web providing a cover for said open top trough as said web is drawn thereover in order to prevent said roll from jumping out of said open-top trougi as said web is continuously Withdrawn therefrom.

2. In a machine for unwinding a roll of soiled toweling comprising in combination, an open-top trough having at least one inclined surface, a pair of smoothing members arranged parallel to and exteriorly of said trough and spaced laterally from the upper edge of said inclined surface of said trough in a first direction, a drive roller arranged parallel to and exteriorly of said trough and spaced laterally from the edge of said inclined surface of said trough in a direction opposite said first direction, a roll of soiled toweling loosely carried in said trough, the web of said toweling being threaded at least a portion of the distance around each smoothing member of said pair so that one surface of said web engages one smoothing member of said pair and the opposite surface of said web engages the other smoothing member of said pair and then passes immediately over said opentop trough and around at least a portion of the surface of said drive roller, a pressure roller mounted adjacent said drive roller and parallel thereto, first and second arms rotatably supporting said pressure roller at opposite ends thereof, means pivotally supporting each of said arms at a point remote from said pressure roller, spring means secured to the ends of said arms remote from said pressure roller and tensioned to cause said arms to rotate on said pivotal support to press said web between said pressure roller and said drive roller, and motor means continuously rotating said drive roller continuously to draw the outer web of said roll over each of said smoothing members and across said open-top trough and between said drive and pressure rollers, said web providing a cover for said open-top trough to prevent said roll from being dislodged from said trough as said web is continuously withdrawn therefrom.

3. In a machine for unwinding a roll of soiled toweling comprising in combination, an open-top trough having at least one inclined surface, a plurality of smoothing members arranged parallel to each other and parallel to and exteriorly of said open-top trough and spaced laterally from each other and from the upper edge of said inclined surface of said trough in a first direction, a drive roller arranged parallel to and eXteriorly of said trough and spaced laterally from said trough in a direction opposite said first direction, a roll of soiled toweling loosely carried in said trough, the web of said toweling being threaded at least a portion of the distance around each of said plurality of smoothing members so that each of the surfaces of said web engages the surface of one or more of said smoothing members and then over said open-top trough and around at least a portion of the upper surface of said drive roll, a pressure roller, means pivotally supporting said pressure roller adjacent said drive roller and spring tensioned to press said web into firm engagement with said drive roller, and motor means continuously rotating said drive roller continuously to draw the outer web of said roll over each of said plurality of smooth members to smooth the web of said soiled toweling and continuously to draw said web across the top of said trough and between said drive and pressure rollers, said web in passing over said open-top trough providing a cover therefore to prevent said roll from being accidently dislodged from said trough as said web is continuously withdrawn from said roll.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,216,655 Smith et al. Oct. 1, 1940 2,264,647 Stearns Dec. 2, 1941 2,495,994 Ward et al. Jan. 31, 1950 2,547,039 Pechy Apr. 3, 1951 

